Somehow, whenever my husband and I go out to dinner, our wine tab often exceeds our food tab. It’s simply the perils of loving wine. So, when we dine out, we focus on getting the best wine value we can for our budget and meal selections. Sometimes this means cutting the wine price down, and other times it could mean spending a bit more but getting a higher quality wine. Here are some things to consider when you order that next bottle of wine (or glass) out.

As a follow up to my review of the Sonoita region in Arizona, I recently returned to the area. A primary reason for going back, other than a great winter getaway with my husband and parents, was to make a visit to Rune, which is producing beautiful Rhone-style blends, such as Grenache, Petite Sirah and Syrah.

With holiday season upon us and everyone preparing to entertain, whether it includes traditional or non-traditional meals, the tricky question is what wine to serve without breaking the bank. Here are some recommendations to consider for your holiday dinner parties. Retail prices vary depending on geographic location.

I have been visiting Paso Robles with my family for at least 10 years and every visit reminds me why this growing wine region is so rewarding to visit. The region itself is diverse, with the beautiful coastal town of Cambria to the west, which offers sensational sunsets, beach walks, and a quaint downtown with plenty of restaurants, shops and wine tasting rooms. And, Hearst Castle is just up the road, so it’s easy to make a long weekend or more in the area.

Last year, I gave kudos to King Estate Pinot Gris, a favorite white for me and my husband. Although I still have plenty of love for this wine, this past weekend we found another Oregon white that is now top on my list. Hats off to the Elk Cove 2015 Pinot Gris from Willamette Valley!

When it hits wine o’clock in our household it’s usually still light out, and that means we’re pouring a crisp, vibrant white. The one we’ve been finding in our glass lately is Muscadet. It’s a somewhat mysterious wine for several reasons, which is probably why I’m partial to it.

Arizona. Everyone knows this is the mecca for sun-drenched deserts, towering saguaro cacti, and ranges of majestic mountains. But rolling vineyards? Absolutely. In fact, Arizona may very well be one of the next up-and-coming wine regions in the country.

Our timing for visiting Washington state wineries last month might have one thinking we had the inside scoop on Wine Spectator’s editorial calendar. One of the latest issues that featured the Top 100 wines also included some in-depth articles about Washington being a rising star in the wine world. We couldn’t agree more. In a two-week period, we covered close to 700 miles and visited 35 wineries and wine bars. Yes, you read it right…35. And, we were tasting wines from the 2012-2014 vintages, which have been highly rated due to favorable weather conditions in the state. I’ve already recounted our visits to Woodinville and all of the main wine regions of the Yakima AVA, so now it’s time to share highlights of our four-day visit through Walla Walla.

More than 100 wineries can be found in the Yakima Valley. That said, with only four days to explore the region, we barely made a dent. However, many of them are in close proximity to one another, making overall logistics easy, particularly with a GPS-enabled smartphone! When scheduling a trip to this area, I recommend calling in advance as many of the wineries are only open on weekends and have different seasonal schedules.